MSc Advanced Pain Management

This programme is for health care professionals who wish to provide the highest quality of care by deepening and broadening their knowledge base in the field of pain management across communities. The MSc Advanced Pain Management programme builds on appropriate undergraduate level study to progress the student’s power of understanding for becoming more effectively, skilfully and humanely engaged in pain practice across a variety of complex environments.

• Foster leadership in pain practice.
• Enable practitioners develop advanced skills in the emerging scholarship within the field of pain management aligned with the wider academic, technological and intricate environments in which advanced pain care takes place.

You will develop a sophisticated questioning approach and practical experience of the scientific method in the context of diagnostic challenges pertinent to acute, chronic and cancer pain and pain survivorship.

How will I benefit?
This programme will support individuals who wish to make pain care an advanced part of their portfolio and in addition, plot their career development across various trajectories of care.  

This is a two year programme, with two trimesters in year one and two trimesters in year two. Assessments are varied (Algorithm, Case Study, MCQ, OSLER, Dissertation) throughout the programme. In addition, students complete pain placements in year one and across varied clinical settings as part of their Advanced Clinical Practicum, trimester one in year two. Students also maintain a clinical portfolio, which outlines the learning goals and objectives for personal development towards advanced practice. 

Year One

• Leadership & Organisational Dynamics (Autumn Trimester)
• Pain Management (Autumn Trimester)
• Acute and Persistent Pain: Mechanisms to Treatment (Autumn Trimester)
• Advanced Health Assessment (Spring Trimester)
• Pharmacology and Pain Therapies Practicum (Spring Trimester)
• Research Methods Applied to Healthcare (Spring Trimester)

Year Two

• Advanced Clinical Pain Practicum (Autumn Trimester)
• Applied Research (Autumn Trimester)
• Dissertation:  Evidence Translation (Autumn & Spring Trimesters)

• Applicants must be active registered health care professionals
• Applicants must have acquired a level 8 academic award in health or allied health care discipline
• Applicants must have a minimum of 3 years post-registration clinical experience
• Applicants must be currently engaged in clinical practice with patients/clients
• Applicants must demonstrate continuous professional development
• Applicants must provide evidence of support from an employer containing confirmation of a designated medical practitioner and /or Advanced Nurse Practitioner mentor who will provide supervision, support, and learning opportunities to gain the required competencies to practice at an advanced level.
• The RPL for Admission process can be considered for those applicants who do not have a level 8 qualification.

PLEASE NOTE - THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION DOCUMENTS IS 01 August, 2020.

• Original Academic Transcripts including date and grading of Degree award (non UCD only)
• Current photocopy of NMBI registration and pin
• Copy of Birth Certificate or Personal Pages of Passport (non UCD only)
• Professional Reference Form
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Evidence of proficiency in English language (applicants whose first language is not English)

Applications are made online through UCD Applications. ​Applicants may be required to undertake an interview (either face-to-face or via telecommunication) as part of the admission process.

Please note that all applicants are required to pay a €50 application fee. Your application cannot be processed fully unless the application fee has been paid.

Apply online

The fees for your programme can be found at the links below. Search using your major code (the four-digit code beginning with 'X' which can be found in the key information box on this page).

• EU fees information
• Non - EU fees information

Please note that UCD fees are subject to change annually. The fees shown include the student centre levy which must be paid by all students. 

If you are being funded to do your programme, please make sure your organisation gets in contact with student.payments@ucd.ie. Please note that all applicants are required to pay the €50 application fee. Your application cannot be processed fully unless the application fee has been paid.

More information about fees is available on the UCD website at the link below:

• General information about UCD Fees

If you have any queries about your fees, please contact student.payments@ucd.ie

Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) applications must be submitted online through your SISWeb account.

There are two instances in which you can apply to have recognised prior learning taken into account when applying for a programme in UCD.

1. RPL for admission to a UCD programme

If you are a prospective student seeking admission to UCD and you do not meet the required admissions criteria as set down for a particular programme of study in UCD, you may apply to be admitted based on prior learning.

2. RPL for exemption from a module or modules on a UCD programme

If you have been accepted onto a UCD programme and wish to have credit transferred towards the requirements of the UCD programme of study, you may apply for RPL from a module or modules.

When applying for RPL, please note the following:

• You must submit your application for RPL as early as possible and preferably before you commence the relevant module/stage/programme.
• An application for RPL relating to a particular module should be submitted before the third week of the trimester in which it is offered. Applications made after this date will only be accepted under exceptional circumstances.
• Your application will be reviewed by the Taught Graduate Standing Committee and Programme Board. You can expect to hear of the outcome or status of your application typically within four to six weeks of submitting it (depending on committee schedules).
• Please note that in some cases your application may not be successful or you may not receive RPL for the amount of credit for which you applied, therefore you must register for, attend and participate in the module or modules until you have been informed of the decision of the School Programme Board.
• If your application is not successful, you are responsible for all assessments associated with the module.

TO APPLY FOR RPL PLEASE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK:  https://sisweb.ucd.ie/usis/W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=APPLY

Please read the UCD Policy on Recognition of Prior Learning at this link: UCD Policy on Recognition of Prior Learning